Deadly Affairs
by PoisonInTheWine
Summary: Nina watched the mop of black curls disappear into the alleyway. Part of her wanted to follow him, but the other part knew he'd likely kill her himself if she dared. That very thought sent an array of chills down her spine. Whoever he was, he radiated danger. Another electrifying thought filled her head- maybe she did like a little danger after all. (JonxOC)
1. Chapter 1

A sort-of-brief-note: Hello everyone! I have had this thought in my head for some time, and I thought, why not? This story is purely for my own enjoyment and (hopefully) yours as well. I am currently writing another GoT fic, so if you want something that follows the actual story then check that out. This is after all, Fanfiction. Anything can happen.

Disclaimer: I don't own Game of Thrones characters. If I did, Oleanna Tyrell would be sitting on the Iron Throne.

Chapter One

8/12/17

xXx

Nina Colletti sat at the window of an old coffee shop in London, watching the rain cascade down on the windows. Her work on the table had been long abandoned and the coffee she held in her hands had grown ice cold. She sat there, in the worn leather chair, counting the raindrops as they fell.

The rain had always captivated her ever since her youth. She enjoyed the rumble of thunder in the distance, followed by the occasional strike of lightning. She would sit for hours and listen to the pattering that the rain made when it met her roof. And on this day, it had decided to rain continuously for hours upon end. Nina had come to the coffee shop to work on her countless essays and assignments, but she found herself engrossed in the storm outside.

Inside her head, Nina heard her father scorning her. _Focus on your work Nina, it is important,_ he would've said in his thick Italian accent. Nina's father immigrated from Florence, where she was born twenty-three years ago. One day while stopping at the market for tomatoes, he had accidentally run into a British tourist, Maria, who at the time was only seventeen. Her father was eight years her senior, but it was love at first sight for them. Less than a year later, Nina's father and a very pregnant Maria moved in together. Nobody in her father's family approved of Maria, and shamed Nina's father for impregnating Maria before marriage. Nina's father was disowned, and the couple struggled to survive due to Maria's inability to work and his low-paying job.

In complete desperation, Nina's father began involving himself in other work with gangs. He began to make a bit of money, but it still wasn't enough to sustain the young couple with an upcoming baby who was due in a few months. So, her father made a deal and borrowed money, with a promise to repay his debt once he was financially stable. His boss agreed, and gave him a deadline. Nina's father shook his boss's hand without a second of hesitation. Anything to help his wife and baby.

Weeks passed, and Nina's birth was close, as so was the deadline for the money. But, Nina's father had become so engrossed in Maria's pregnancy that he forgot about the deadline. The night before Maria gave birth, his boss came to the hospital where Nina's parents were. The boss never left his office, only when a deadline was missed- and even that was rare. Maria had been unaware to all of this, thinking that Nina's father had just gotten a raise from work. Outside of the hospital room, Nina's father pleaded that he get a few more weeks to pay off the debt- with interest. The boss granted him two more weeks, the generosity had almost brought Nina's father to tears.

On October thirteenth, on a bright and sunny morning- Nina Isabella Colletti was born. She was certainly her father's child, olive skin and dark hair, with an exception. Nina had her mother's eyes, a deep and glorious blue. Maria had called her, her "little sunshine" because of the perfect day that Nina was born on.

The couple and their newborn baby were happy during the first week since Nina had been born, but deep down Nina's father was scared. He didn't have the money, nor the interest to pay the boss back. So he did the only thing he could do in times of desperation, he planned to run. He lied to Maria and told her that he wanted to take the baby and go back to Maria's home and raise Nina there. Maria declined, Nina was only a week old and it wouldn't be wise to travel with a newborn baby.

Nina's father had confined in his long-term friend, Marco, about his plan. Marco knew people who could get the family out of the country quickly and back to London, and he promised to get them out safely. After days of pleading, Maria finally agreed to go back home. Nina's father couldn't have been more relieved, they would be safe, everything would be fine.

On the night of their departure, Nina's father had left their _casa_ to finalize things with Marco. Nina's father would come to realize that this was the worst mistake he had ever made, for when he returned, he found the love of his life- dead on the floor.

Nina's father sobbed over Maria's body, convincing himself that he would die here with her. He didn't question who did it, poison was the boss's specialty. He knew because he administered it in a man's drink at a bar for the boss, a deadly poison that turned the lips purple and the eyes a bloody red. As he lay, he whispered all of his guilt into his dead lover's ears. This was his fault, _his_ doing. And he would pay for it, through death.

That was until he heard a muffled cry from the nursery, _Nina._ He had forgotten all about her. Something clicked inside him then, a protective love for his little girl, a love only a father could understand. _She would not suffer the same fate as Maria_ , he vowed to himself. He ran and grabbed Nina, taking only what he needed, and whispered a final goodbye to his _amante_. In an hour he was boarding a small plane that Marco has secured for him, and began the long and foreboding journey to London.

Despite the odds of a poor, single immigrant father, Nina blissfully lived a normal life growing up. Her father had been determined to make it work. He eventually learned to speak English well, and got a job as a bartender- working his way up until he owned his own bar. That was where Nina lived, above _Giovanni's,_ the pub her father named after himself. When Giovanni vowed to himself that Nina would not suffer like Maria did, he meant it. He always made sure Nina was safe, never letting her out of his sight before her adult years. He saved up what he could and sent Nina to university, where she studied journalism now. Giovanni had never spoken of Maria until Nina's twenty-first birthday, where he told her the story of how she died. From that day on, Nina made her own vow. She would get revenge on whoever killed her mother. She never told her father this, she kept her secret vendetta to herself.

And so why did Nina like the rain so much? Water brought life. She knew her mother was up in the sky, watching over her. When it rained, the flowers that hung out of her window over the pub would bloom brighter than ever. Maybe it was her mother in the rain, bringing life when hers was taken away from her at such a young age. And so she enjoyed watching the rain, for many the rain seemed gloomy- but for Nina it was the exact opposite.

xXx

It was nearing dusk when Nina left the coffee shop, the rain had stopped and the families had gone inside. Now, party-goers roamed the streets, couples strolled hand-in-hand. It was Saturday night after all, but Nina wasn't interested in such endeavors. She had been working for hours, and exhaustion was setting in as she sluggishly cut through alleyways to get back to the pub, which was no doubt fully packed.

As she cut through another dark alley, she heard a commotion nearby that caused her to stop in her tracks. There were the loud voices of arguing men and sounds of glass bottles hitting the ground, along with the shuffling of bodies coming into contact with each other. _A fight,_ she thought to herself. She quickly picked up her pace and walked through the alley and onto the next street. Law enforcement would handle it, she figured. She would've contacted them, but she didn't bring her mobile with her today. It wasn't the first time she caught people in a scuffle, it happened a lot in the city.

Something caused her to turn around though- blatant curiosity maybe at the fight that was happening behind her. She saw four men ganging up on a younger-looking man up against a wall. She looked around helplessly, unknowing of what to do. The men grabbed the younger looking one and threw him on the ground, kicking him in every way they could. It felt so wrong to just _watch,_ so Nina did the only thing she could have done. She grabbed the small can of pepper spray that her _padre_ insisted that she carried on her and ran over to the group of men.

"STOP." she yelled as she ran closer to the scene. The four stopped kicking the man on the ground and turned to look at her in surprise. Their expressions quickly changed to something sinister, which sent chills down Nina's spine. Maybe she should have minded her own business and walked the other way.

The largest man with long blond hair looked her up and down and snorted. "Get the fuck out of here." he spat.

Her hand tightened around the can of pepper spray. "I called the police, they should be here any minute now." she said loudly, hoping that it was enough to mask the fear in her voice.

The four men looked at each other and laughed. Another man with brown hair stepped closer to her. "Yeah? Where's the bloody police at then?" he asked.

Nina swallowed nervously, she should have _definitely_ walked away. "On their way. Like I said." she spat back.

The bigger one smirked at her, and Nina's stomach lurched in disgust. "I like ya, full of fire."

The man on the ground coughed and spat blood onto the pavement and tried to stand, the blonde man automatically kicked in him the gut and sent his body flying to the ground once again. The man wheezed and spat up more blood.

"Fucking bastard won't stay put." he muttered before moving in to kick him again. Nina lunged at the blonde man and sprayed him directly in the face with pepper spray. Screaming he covered his eyes and ran, tripping and falling onto the pavement as he attempted to get away. The others grabbed both of her arms, causing the spray to fall to the ground. She screamed as the third man stood in front of her, tugging at her pants. With her left leg, she managed so bring it up with a great force and kick him in the groin. The man fell to his knees in pain.

Nina then trashed at the gribs of the other two men holding her down. Her elbow came in contact with one of their noses, and she managed to shrug free and grab the spray- hitting the other in the face with it. The last man cried out in pain and she struggled free. Before she could register what happened, the man on the ground had gotten up and grabbed her arm. Together they ran through the alleyways until the screams of the attackers faded away into the distance.

They stopped behind a pub and leaned against the wall, trying to catch their breath. Nina grimaced at the searing pain in her elbow and soreness in her shoulders from being held at such an uncomfortable angle. She took this time to steal a glance at the man she had risked her life for.

He looked young, possibly her age. Dark curls sat on top of his head along with facial hair that rain along his jawline. He was dressed in all black, leather jacket and matching boots. His face was covered in blood, but it didn't obscure his attractiveness.

She pushed herself off of the wall and came to stand in front of him. "You need to get to a hospital." she said, assessing his injuries. His shirt had a dark stain and his mouth and nose were badly bleeding.

He scowled, "I'm fine." he said in a deep Northern accent, wiping his mouth. He then looked directly up at her, and she was taken aback at how dark his eyes were- almost liquid black in the dim lights. "You shouldn't have interfered."

It was now her turn to scowl. "I saved you and you don't even say thanks?" she asked in a annoyed tone. _How rude._ She thought.

He rolled his eyes. "I would've been fine, they were just roughing me up. They can't kill me." he said, like it was an obvious fact she should've known.

"That's not what it looked like." she replied pointedly.

"Yeah well," he huffed, grasping his head in acute pain while he pushed himself off of the brick wall. "Nothing would've happened. So lay off."

Nina couldn't believe what she was hearing, she literally _risked her life_ to save this stranger and he can't even muster a simple "thank-you"?

"Wow" she muttered, "I should've kept walking."

He glanced at her in agitation. "You think? You have no idea what you just did-" he began, but silenced himself.

She narrowed her eyes, "And what did I do that was so bad? Save your life?"

He shook his head and avoided the question, "Nothing. Go home." he said, and began walking the other direction.

Nina ran after him and grabbed his arm, she wasn't done with him yet. "And where are you going? You didn't even ask my name, or thank me for that matter."

He rolled his eyes and pulled his arm away. "You talk too much. Might get you killed if you aren't careful." he said in a low and dangerous tone that gave Nina chills down her spine.

She _should_ go home, before anything else life-threatening happened. But, her stubbornness kept her from moving her feet. "I want a thank-you, and a name."

He mumbled a strain of profanity under his breath and raked a hand through his black curls. "Christ, thank you. Are you satisfied now? I need to go."

No, she wasn't satisfied yet. "Where?" she prompted again.

The man actually looked liked he wanted to rip her head off from the immense amount of questions he had been receiving, but she didn't care. Not tonight at least, she'd care in the morning. But tonight, she was reckless. He gave her a dark look and turned to walk the way he started.

"Still don't know your name." she shouted after him.

"Still don't care." he called back over his shoulder.

Nina watched the mop of black curls disappear into the alleyway. Part of her wanted to follow him, but the other part knew he'd likely kill her himself if she dared. That very thought sent an array of chills down her spine. Whoever he was, he radiated danger.

With one last ruefull look in the direction that he left, she turned on her heels and headed for the pub,

She needed a drink after tonight.

xXx

This is short, I know. It's just an intro chapter to this story. I promise you that the backstory of Nina's father isn't just to fill space, it's important. :)

I hope you enjoyed! I get that this is really different but hey, it doesn't hurt to try new things out… right? I will be updating soon with a longer chapter to start off this little story. Please drop a review down below, tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

1/3/18

He hated the rain. Although he had lived in London for most of his twenty-seven years, he never grew accustomed to the dull and gloomy weather.

He scowled as the rain drops hit his face, because each drop felt like a tiny bullet with the wind picking up. Stationed under a canopy in Borough market, he had been sitting for hours waiting for his client to meet him. He never showed, and his patience was wearing thin.

Pulling his long, dark grey coat tighter around his body, he reached into his breast pocket for his cell phone. Dialing a number, he held the phone to his ear and prayed that the recipient would answer.

They picked up on the third ring, "I hope you're telling me that you found Multinger." a gruff voice said from the other line.

He grit his teeth in agitation, he was losing money because of this. "No." he spat, "He never showed. I told Robb two hours ago and he's going to his flat to see if he's there."

"I need that damn flash drive by tomorrow morning, or your arse is out big time. Got it?"

Before he could respond, the man hung up. The man swore under his breath and slammed the phone shut, just as a loud crack of thunder roared across the sky.

"Nina you have to come out with us tonight, it's Friday." begged Dany, Lina's best friend of twelve years.

Nina sighed in agitation, this had been the third time Dany had asked her to go out drinking. She had a research paper about African art due the next week, and she desperately needed the time to write it over the weekend.

Dany's eyes briefly flashed with anger at her friend's reluctance, "We haven't been out together in ages, and you know- it is Melissa's birthday today. It would be bloody awful if you didn't show up."

Nina rolled her eyes, shutting her laptop and sliding it into her bag, "Melissa is _your_ friend, not mine. I hardly know her."

"Fine, well have fun with your stupid paper. I am going to go get wasted." Dany announced, grabbing her purse and striding out of Nina's apartment.

"Don't slam the door, Papa is still sleeping!" she hissed at her blonde friend, but a second too late, because a loud bang sounded the room as Dany exited.

Gritting her teeth, Nina silently vowed to yell at her later for possibly waking up her father, who barely got any rest these days. When he wasn't working nights at the pub, he was working appointments as an electrician. The pub that he owned brought in Nina's tuition for university, and the side job paid the bills.

The pair lived above the pub, it was a quaint two bedroom apartment with many windows, so it never quite felt as small as it was. Everything was open, and the kitchen overlooked the streets of London. As a child, Nina would sit and watch the people and cars fly by. Sometimes, a street performer would sit outside of the shop across from the pub and play music. During these times, a young Nina would climb out of her bedroom window (against her father's wishes) and sit on the small balcony that overlooked the shop, watching the street performer play his violin.

She never knew his name, because he never returned to the spot after the shop owner- an elderly woman named Margaret who despised any sort of entertainment- chased him away with her walking stick.

Nina was broken away from her thoughts as a disgruntled Papa emerged from his room.

" _Buona sera."_ he said to Nina, kissing her cheek as he sat down at the table.

"How did you sleep?" she asked, smiling at him as she set down his cup of tea she had been preparing.

Giovanni shrugged, running a hand through his thinning, grey hair. "Not well," he began in his thick and accented voice, "The baby was crying for hours."

Nina nodded in understanding, the Michealsons- their neighbors, had recently had a baby girl. The walls were thin, and Papa's room was unfortunately next to their nursery.

"I'm sorry," she said, patting his hand. "I can go yell at them if you want."

Giovanni laughed and shook his head, "I appreciate it, but no. They are good people. I remember when you would wail all night. I never knew how to get you to stop crying."

And for a second, almost gone unnoticed if not for Nina's watchful eye, a dark look passed over her father's features- and she knew exactly why. Her first few months of life were torture for Giovanni, as he had lost her mother, Maria. A single father in a big city with little money was a nightmare for Giovanni.

But she admired him.

"You did a good job, yeah?" she said, kissing him on the cheek. "You raised me, all by yourself in a big city. I am proud of you, Papa."

Love shined in his eyes as he looked up at her, "And I am proud of you, my girl. I couldn't have hoped for a more smart and beautiful daughter like yourself."

Nina swatted his arm playfully, "Stop it, you are going to make me cry and I have to go start this paper."

"Alright, alright." he said, throwing up his hands. "Go on."

Nina smiled and said goodbye as she headed out the door and down the winding stairs. Catching a bus, she headed for the National Gallery.

xXx

The Gallery was her inspiration to write. She loved how peaceful it was. So, on a bench in the Sunley Room she sat typing her research paper on ancient African art in front of the Arnolfini Portrait.

Thirty minutes passed until Nina noticed that she was not alone in the room. This was a regular occurrence, however, so she ignored the presence and continued typing on.

Nina was suddenly pulled away from her writing when a deep voice from behind her caused her to jump, "What do you think Eyck meant by this portrait?" he asked. She turned around quickly and got a brief glance at the man, not really taking in any record of his face.

"There are multiple criticisms." she began, this was not the first time she was asked about artwork. She came here so often, many assumed she was a curator. "When it was first put on display, it was assumed that the couple was getting married because the woman was pregnant, but in the 1860's it was proved that it is just her skirt and not an unconventional pregnancy."

"And the man?" he asked.

Not looking up, she continued to type at her paper, "The man is Giovanni Arnolfini, a merchant. The couple is very wealthy, you can tell by the oranges on display in the background and the red bedding. It is all pretty self-explanatory if you know basic Victorian customs."

"Ah, but the mystery of the painting is the mirror." he stated from behind her, she could almost hear the smile in his tone.

"Correct, yes. Whoever is in the mirror is a mystery. It could be spectators that the couple is greeting, or even Jan van Eyck himself. He did sign the year in Latin above it."

"Well, the job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery."

Smiling at his allusion, Nina finally set down her laptop to look up at the man. Her smile suddenly faded when she saw who stood in front of her. Dressed in black, with curls on top of his head, stood the man who she had encountered last week.

Fear gripped at her heart, he did not look like the same person who had grabbed her arm and whisked her away from the danger a week ago, the man who told her to stay away with blood smeared across his face, the man that radiated danger.

Instead, he looked like a proper business man. He wore a polo with a dark grey coat, accompanied by dress slacks and rust-colored shoes. His curls were combed back and the injuries that he had sustained a week ago were faded away, like whatever had happened had only been a dream.

"You-" she began, but before she could utter another word, he turned and strode out of the room. Nina quickly stuffed her bag and ran after him. The Gallery was near closing time, few were still left in the museum. Her heels clanked loudly down the halls as she hurried to catch up to him, desperate to know who he was.

She had just made it out of the entryway when she caught sight of the man walking down the steps.

"Hey!" she shouted, drawing the attention of a few people around the Gallery. He turned around promptly and glared, heading quickly to where she stood.

"Can you stop shouting?" he spat at her. Nina took a step forward, hands planted on her hips.

"What the hell? You are the one who came up to me, and you can't expect me to have questions after last week." she said in a hushed voice, anger beginning to pulse through her veins.

"I didn't know it was you." he said without conviction.

Nina paused for a minute, unsure of what to say, "Then can you please explain to me what happened last week?" she asked quietly. The night she had come home wasted, too far gone to tell anyone what had happened. Her Papa had been worried sick, and the next morning she lied, explaining that Dany got her too drunk that night, and it was only harmless fun. From then, everything had been normal. She'd kept on going to class, working the pub on other days, and almost forgot that it had ever happened. Until now.

He narrowed his eyes at her, studying her carefully. "It was a bad game of pool, I won and the two guys were pissed off about it."

 _Liar,_ she thought. "You were on the ground, _bleeding._ That seems like more than just a game." she said.

"It was high stakes."

"Bullshit."

"I'm telling the truth, want to see the money?"

"I know you're lying."

"God, will you fuck off then? I have somewhere to be."

Nina's hands curled into fists, "You- you are such an asshole. I don't even know your damn name and you have managed to piss me off." she yelled, causing the man to take a step back. "You know what? I don't care what you do, I hope I don't see you again."

With that, she pushed past him and hurried down the steps, the anger fading away from her with each step she took. Before she got far, a hand grabbed he arm and rooted her in place.

"It's Jon. Jon Snow." he whispered in her ear. She shivered when he said this, but she would tell herself later on that it was the chill of the night that caused it, not the warmth of his breath.

He let go of her arm as quickly as he seized it, and she kept walking without looking back. As she made her way home, she tried not to think about the way his breath warmed her ear when he whispered his name.

She told herself that she would forget the incident, but part of her wanted to know more. He had made the mistake of telling her his name, because now she was curious. And curiosity is the lust of the mind.

* * *

"The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery" -Francis Bacon

"Buona sera" – good evening

Artwork mentioned: Arnolfini Portrait, by Jan van Eyck, 1434

Thanks for reading 😊 I was gone for a hot minute, but I am back and ready to update all of my stories (hopefully) soon! I'm excited to write more of this story because its so fun, more enjoyable to write than my other GoT one. Stay tuned.


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